Brother, brother
by spooksfan08
Summary: Sandra is back with the team but sharing the lead with Sasha. Can a case where a young man died really be all it seems? Can Sacha and Danny fit in with the team and will UCOS get to the truth in time?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer I do not own New Tricks. All copyright belongs to BBC Television and Wall to Wall productions. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred. This story follows on from The Letter.**

**One Punch?**

"1999." Sacha stated as Sandra and the rest of the team sat facing the whiteboard. "It's a long time ago. Is anyone really going to talk to us now when they refused to talk to anyone back then?"

"Oh you'd be surprised." Jack smiled slightly. "Memories tend to come back with time in these cases. People feel less threatened after a period of time."

"And less able to conceal their lives." Steve joined in as Sandra nodded.

"Yes, but this is our main focus right now. 31st December 1999."

"New Years' Eve." Danny joined in.

"Yes." Sandra sighed as Sacha rolled her eyes.

"Oh no, not just New Years Eve. The New Years Eve." Brian took his glasses off. "Millenium Eve. People are going to remember where they were. Who they were with."

"Do you? Brian?" Gerry asked.

"Yeah, my first one sober. I was with Esther. We watched the telly before going to watch the fireworks."

"Can we get back to the case?" Sascha snapped.

"Hang on, they will." Sandra smiled. "You just have to let them work their way round to it. I think it's an age thing. Loosing testosterone."

"Male menopause?" Sascha smiled as Sandra bit her lip. She was beginning to enjoy having another woman on the team. Something she would never had imagined just a few months earlier. Still working part time while recovering from her cancer she knew her team was in good hands.

"But this kid." Gerry stated.

"Here we go." Sandra raised an eyebrow.

"What was 'e doing there? I mean. From what we've been told Micky Jones was a good kid."

"He was." Sandra sighed. "A level results had been amazing. He was in his first year at uni. Studying medicine. Such a waste. One punch."

"Paul Sorenson was convicted of manslaugher." Steve stated. "Why is this case even open? A man is in prison."

"Was in prison." Sandra corrected him. "He's dead."

"Sorenson is dead."

"Yeah." Sascha nodded. "Testicular cancer three years ago. Sad really."

All the men in the room fell silent. Brian put his glasses back on. "So? Why reopen the case? We have a convicted killer."

"Yeah, in theory we do. Strickland wants us to look into it."

"Why?" Danny frowned.

"Micky was a popular young man, very intelligent. Not bad looking, had a nice girlfriend, Gail Hughes. Another student. It looked to everyone that Mickey and Paul had a fight over her."

"Hardly a fight though." Jack leant forward.

"One punch." Steve stated. "One punch is often all it takes."

"We are taking this case. We know there have been cases that had to reopened to ensure the conviction is sound. When Sorenson was in prison he was trying to get an appeal. He was trying to get people to believe that wasn't him in the CCTV video. That Gail and another as yet unnamed man had been setting him up all along. He died before the appeal could be heard."

"He was caught on camera."

"No, Gerry. The man who threw the punch is on camera. It was always assumed it was the same man who was convicted. But what if it wasn't?"

"And that is what we are supposed to find out?" Jack got to his feet.

"Yeah. Well, we are detectives." Gerry huffed.

"Exactly, Gerry. So, come on." Sandra stood up. "Was a young man wrongly convicted? If so, where is the real killer?" She watched as the older men began chatting away. Sascha leant next to Sandra and smiled.

"Thanks."

"What for?"

"Not telling them it was my brother."

"If he was wrongly convicted." Sandra sighed. "Then there is a real killer out there, we have to find out if we convicted the right man back then. It will come out that you and Sorenson."

"Yeah I know." She paused "I just need to know if my big brother was the monster the judge said he was or if he went to prison for something he didn't do."

"I know." Sandra agreed. "And we will."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N Worth going on? Please review


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer still not mine**

**Sister**

"So this kid is out having a laugh with 'is mates." Gerry walked into the inner office of UCOS as Sandra looked up.

"Yeah."

"And he is punched by some bloke, who may or may not be Sorenson."

"Gerry." Sandra looked up as he walked in. "We know that."

"Yeah." He sat down opposite her. "What I don't get, is why Sascha is so determined for us to take the case. I mean I know Strickland approved it but why is it so important to her?"

"Because it's a cold case and unsolved case." Sandra watched as he shrugged his shoulders. "It's what we do and she is your Guv."

"I know she's the guvn'r when you're not around but I still don't get why this case is so important to her."

"Does it matter? We investigate open and unsolved cases." Sandra leant back in her chair as Gerry nodded.

"I know our remit."

"And she is your guv, the same as me. Same rank, same responsibilities. Anyway, having her, Brian and Steve on the team as well as us means we can double our workload, solve more cases, keep Strickland quiet for a while."

"Same rank yeah, but she's not you. Is she?"

"Thank Heaven's for small mercies, eh?" She smiled as he got to his feet. "Any news on Danny and Brian? Have they dug anything up?"

"Not called in yet. Jack has got the address of the kid's parents."

"Ok." Sandra nodded. "You chase up the prison where Sorenson died and I'll take Jack to see the victim's parents." She got to her feet as Gerry watched.

"You ok?"

"Of course I am."

"Sandra."

"What?"

"You would say if you weren't ok? I mean what with the chemo and stuff."

"If by stuff you mean the radiotherapy, breast reconstruction and my hair not being the same. Or the genetic testing and my mother informing me that my lifestyle choices haven't helped." Sandra rolled her eyes. "Then yeah, I'm ok. I just want to find out who really killed that boy."

"Ok." Gerry sighed, silently wishing he had never asked, knowing Grace would have blamed everything that went wrong in the world on Sandra.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Mrs Jones." Jack looked up as the ornate front door opened.

"Yes." The tall, well dressed woman frowned slightly. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman." Sandra started. "This is my colleague, Jack Halford. We're from UCOS."

"Oh I heard about you. That case you solved." She paused ."With the drug dealer."

"Can we come in?" Jack asked as the woman frowned slightly.

"Of course, mind the cat. She has a thing for jumping on people." The older woman nodded towards a small tabby cat that was curled on the rug as they walked into the living room. The cat showed no intention of acknowledging the strangers, never mind jumping on anyone. "What can I help you with? This isn't about Michael. It can't be."

"I'm afraid it is." Sandra watched as the woman sat down. A school photograph of a young teenage boy sat on top of the TV, next to an almost identical photo of a young girl.

"His killer was found. He was put in prison. I went to the court, everyday. I stood in that dock and watched as that man denied killing my boy. Denied throwing a punch that killed my boy." She closed her eyes as Jack and Sandra sat down.

"I know this is hard for you." Jack started.

"Hard? Do you have children?"

"Yes." Jack stated as Sandra closed her eyes. "A daughter, April."

"Pretty name." Mrs Jones stated. "You?"

"No." Sandra frowned.

"Ah, you'll never understand what it is like to loose a child."

"I am afraid I understand all too well." Jack stated. "My April wasn't murdered. Not like your boy but I know what it is like to want answers. Your Michael, how old was he? Nineteen? My April was eight months old." He sighed as Sandra looked away, knowing the girl would have been a year or two older than she was now. "I suppose these days they call it cot death, so I know what it is like to want answers, to want to know the cause, why a child you loved and cared for has been taken away from you."

"The man that did this, I heard he died."

"Yes, the man convicted of Michael's murder died three years ago. He had cancer."

"Evil disease." She shook her head. "My Emma, she did Race for Life last summer. Raised a lot of money for that. But it doesn't change the fact that man killed my boy."

"That's the thing." Jack paused, glancing at Sandra. "New evidence suggests he may have been innocent."

"No."

"We're looking into the case to establish if there was any way the police back then arrested the wrong man."

"No." Mrs Jones got to her feet. "I think I'd like you to go."

"Mrs Jones." Sandra got to her feet. "Please, it's important we establish what happened. If the police were wrong, if the wrong man was convicted."

"He wasn't."

"Mum?" Jack turned to see a young woman in her early thirties holding a toddler. "What's going on? What do you think the police were wrong about?"

"This does not concern you. And it definitely does not concern Joe."

"I'm Emma, this is my son." She smiled as the boy wriggled in her arms. "Joe, go look for your train. I was a kid then, Mum but I'm not now. I'm concerned. Do you think Sorenson was innocent?"

"We are looking into it." Sandra stated.

"I hope he was guilty." Emma paused. "I personally hope I haven't wasted the last few years wishing he rotted in Hell. But if he was, are you going to find out who did it?"

"I hope so." Jack sighed, glad the younger woman seemed at least open to the possibility. Emma nodded. "Do you know what happened to Gail? His girlfriend?"

"That bitch?"

"Emma!" Her mother snapped.

"Mum she is a complete cow. Always has been. I don't see or speak to her anymore. Well, I haven't for years. I was fourteen when Mickey died. She was not exactly my favourite person, had too many admirers if you ask me. She was working in the Carrot and Hare on Morgan Lane. You could see if they know where she's gone."

"Thanks." Sandra smiled warmly as Joe returned with a small Thomas the Tank Engine toy. "We'll be in touch." She and Jack left the house as Emma followed them.

"No problem, I'd hate to think the wrong man went to prison. Have you spoken to Sorenson's sister? To Sascha? We were in school together."

"Sascha?" Jack glanced at Sandra.

"Yeah, Sash Miller. No idea what she's doing now."

"Oh I think we do." Jack answered as Sandra nodded and walked away. He waited until he heard the click of the front door closing.

"Sandra, I think you have some explaining to do." He opened the car door as Sandra looked at him innocently. She knew it wouldn't wash with him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The CCTV camera isn't there anymore." Brian stated as he and Danny looked at a large map laid out over three desks.

"What are you doing?" Steve pulled a face while Brian adjusted his glasses.

"This is a map of the area where Jones died." Danny stated. "Taken from the Ordinance Survey and cross referenced with the map of CCTV cameras owned by the shop keepers and publicans in the area."

"Oh and the police and security cameras." Brian added. Steve looked at Sacha who just shook her head, still bewildered with the way the older men's minds worked. She had no idea what Danny and Brian were going to come up with but she had a feeling if Sandra were there they would be allowed to run with it until some tiny piece of apparently irrelevant information became the centre point for the case.

"Oh aye." Steve stated. "This was in 1999, nearly twenty years ago."

"I know that." Brian added. "CCTV was in it's infancy then. Not like today. The images were black and while and barely useful back then. Not like today's HD productions."

"So?"

"So the camera that caught the assault wouldn't have been up to much?" Sacha folded her arms. "The jury may have watched someone else throw the fatal punch?"

"It is possible." Brian stepped back, grabbed his cycle helmet and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To see a man about a camera." Brian stated before leaving.

"I swear, I." Sascha paused as Jack, Sandra and Gerry walked back into the office. Neither men looked pleased.

"You'll never understand how Brian's mind works." Gerry stated. "I gave up trying years ago. Now, why didn't you tell us your brother is Sorenson?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N More soon x please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer not mine**

**An Explanation?**

"I." Sacha looked around the room as Sandra glared at Gerry.

"It would have been nice to have known. That's all." Jack smiled kindly. "It makes things easier all round if we know the full story before we get involved."

"Yeah." Gerry answered.

"I didn't want to detract from the case. Strickland brought this to us, not me." Sacha sighed. "I was just a kid at the time. Emma was my best friend. After" She paused. "After what happened I moved away. Changed schools. Dad wanted a new start, couldn't handle the shame."

"And you?"

"I didn't want to think my brother was capable of that. But he was found guilty, so I had to. It never occurred to me the Jury would get it wrong." She looked away. "He is. He was my half brother, different dad's, that's why the surnames are different."

"Ok, I get that." Gerry stated "But why didn't you tell us."

"Sandra knew." Steve stated.

"She had to. She's my Guv. This is my first post as a DCI and I didnt want you lot thinking you were being used to settle old scores."

"Nah, don't worry about that." Steve smiled as Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "But you have to be prepared for the fact we may find out he was guilty He may have been the one who threw that punch. You need to take a step back and let us get on with it."

"Jack's right."

"I just." She bit her lip as she glanced at Sandra.

"You are too close." Steve added. "Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this."

"We did with Jack's case we will with this." Gerry added as Jack nodded.

"Don't let it take over your life like I did. I had to find the truth for my Mary the same way you need to for your brother. Let us handle it. Hanson almost ruined my life, don't let this ruin yours. For the sake of your kids if nothing else."

Sacha closed her eyes as she listened to her colleagues, realising for the first time since she had been sent to cover for Sandra that her team had accepted her. Danny shook his head.

"First time I've had to prove a man innocent." Danny frowned. "Never had to do that before."

"First time for everything." Sandra snapped. "And we are not proving anyone innocent. We are looking for the truth. New evidence has come to light that suggests someone lied. Gerry, with me. Now." Sandra walked away as Gerry scrambled to his feet.

"Women! If it's not my daughters ordering me about it's one of the ex wives or you pair." Gerry huffed as he followed her. C'mon."

"Yes, difference is, Gerry we're paid to do it. Gail Hughes last known place of work." She ushered him out of the office as Danny smirked.

"Like an old married couple." Steve laughed as Jack shook his head.

"Och, you don't know the half of it!" Steve laughed as Jack smiled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Brian stared up at the CCTV cameras as sightseers and commuters wandered around oblivious to him stood in the early Spring sunshine.

"Can I help you?" A pretty young blonde approached him.

"Aye, Brian Lane, UCOS." He showed her his ID badge. "You work 'ere?"

"Yeah since 2012" She nodded. "Joanne Jones." She shook his hand. "My dad ran the bar before it was turned into a Bistro. Why are UCOS interested in us?"

"We're not. Not really, more in what happened here New Years' Eve 1999."

"The boy that was killed." Joanne folded her arms.

"You know about that?"

"Not really. I was only a kid. Still in Infants School." She looked up to see where he was looking. "Dad and Uncle Keith ran it then. It wasn't a Bistro."

"Can I speak to your Dad?"

"Good luck with that. Unless you have a reliable psychic."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's ok. Uncle Keith and Toby may be better to talk to. Toby is my cousin. He's the boss now. I'll get you his number." She smiled as Brian followed her into the bar, hoping that he had actually managed to find a break in the case.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N More soon please review


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer I do not own New Tricks**

Loyalty

Sandra shut the car door as Gerry looked towards the grey sky. She knew he was still unsure why they had taken the case but that wasn't her concern. They had to find out if Sorenson had killed the younger man or if he had died in prison an innocent man.

"Gail Hughes." Sandra stated. "At the time she was a bar maid to fund her way through uni."

"Lots of kids do that. 'av you seen the fees those uni's charge? You need a degree in finance management before you start the course! Bloody extortionate."

"So now Gail is running a bar." Sandra walked towards the upmarket wine bar. "Seems a world away from the degree she was doing."

"People change their minds. I mean Michael was a med student. She was what? Studying history. Easy to get fed up of that I'd reckon."

"Yeah, well. We're not all the philistine you are, Gerry."

"What? You'd rather have done something else? A different job?"

"Sometimes." She smiled slightly. "When you lot are getting on my nerves. Certainly seems that Emma and Gail didn't get along."

"Nah." Gerry pushed the bar door open. "Not much love lost there."

"Can I help?" A young woman in her early thirties approached. "I'm sorry but we're not open yet."

"Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman. This is my colleague, Gerry Standing. UCOS." Sandra held her warrant card for the woman to see. "I'd like to talk to Gail Hughes."

"Gail? Wouldn't we all." The woman shook her head.

"She's not 'ere?" Gerry asked.

"No. Not seen her for a few days. Not like her."

"And your name is?"

"Sarah Jones."

"Ok, Sarah." Sandra smiled. "Any idea where she is or why she hasn't been into work?"

"No clue where she is. I got in to work yesterday, found a note saying she was away for a while and that the money for the suppliers was sorted. Called her mobile but no answer."

"Is this normal for her?" Sandra frowned. "For her to be running off at a whim?"

"Gail never does anything on a whim." Sarah sighed. "I thought perhaps it had something to do with that woman who came in last week calling the shots."

"Woman?" Gerry and Sandra exchanged glances.

"Yeah, about my age. Skinny and tall. Reckoned she was responsible for some boy dying years ago. Ranting and raving." Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "Upset a few customers. Only thing is when I said I'd ring the police she was fine with that. It was Gail that wasn't."

"Have you got an address for Gail?"

"Yeah." Sarah nodded. "In the office. I'll get it for you." Gerry and Sandra nodded their thanks as she walked away.

"Emma." Sandra sighed as she sat at a table to wait. Gerry nodded, knowing she was probably right. He frowned for a moment as Sandra fell quiet. He didn't like the way she was looking. She seemed pale and slightly uncoördinated. He knew there was no point in mentioning it as he didn't fancy having his head bitten off. It was just a case of keeping an eye on her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack stared at the computer screen trying to work out what he was looking at. The grainy security camera footage that Brian had acquired from the bar seemed to be worse than the footage they had in the original evidence.

"I thought you were going to get this cleaned up." Danny started.

"I did." Brian took his glasses off. "I thought it would be better quality than this." The grainy computer image frustrating them all. "This is useless."

"Well, we still have the original stuff." Steve sighed.

"My Holly" Danny started "She could clesr this up, put it on a digital format."

"She's 14." Sacha smiled as she thought of the teenager. "Sandra. No Strickland would never allow a teenager to have access to evidence." Jack and Steve smirked.

"Are you going to tell him?" Steve asked as Sacha rolled her eyes, seeing how UCOS had the high clean up rate they did.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So." Gerry looked up at the blue Spring sky as Sandra dug in her pockets for car keys.

"You can drive." She handed him the keys. Frowing he took them from her, knowing something was wrong if she was asking him to drive her beloved car back to the station.

"Ok. Emma has to be the one to have warned Gail." He headed towards the car.

"I want to talk to Emma again, without her mum around."

"Yeah." He agreed. Sandra was beginning to worry him. She looked exhausted. He hoped it was just the case getting to her, rather than the effects of the chemo she had gone through the week before. She stepped into the passenger side of the car as Gerry tried not to show how worried he really was.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We know Gail was in the pub with Michael." Steve ran a hand over his face.

"And we know Sorenson was there." Danny frowned. "You know we already have this."

"What we don't have is the motive. Gail said the men were arguing but other eyewittnesses said they couldn't be certain."

"So? We round up the other witnesses." She looked at the older men.

"Might be difficult to find them all." Brian sighed. "Two are dead. One, Sophie Morgan had a fatal car crash in 2007. Another died of cancer in 2006."

"Right then." Sacha paused. "We go back through their statements."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'll call Emma when we get back to the nic." Gerry stated. "See if we can get her to come into the station. She probably didn't realise she was warning off the woman we need to talk to."

"I want to go to Gail's flat first."

"Yeah." Gerry nodded. "You think she is still there?" He looked over to see Sandra had nodded off to sleep with her face towards the window of the car. He smiled to himself, he had known she was exhausted. Ten minutes later they were pulling into the car park outside the police station. Killing the engine he turned towards Sandra. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty." He teased. Sandra remained silent, her breathing heavier, more laboured than could be healthy.

"Sandra?" He reached out to shake her gently, pulling his hand away when he realised her skin was burning. "Sandra. Wake up. Come on." He jumped out of this side of the car running around to her side. Yanking the door open he tried not to panic. "Sandra, stop playing silly buggers." He shook her arm as she groaned slightly. He dug in his pocket for his mobile phone before calling an ambulance. Seconds later he was dialling Jack's number.

"I'm outside with Sandra, ambulance on the way. I can't wake her up." He couldn't hide the panic in his voice. "Jack, she wont wake up."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N More soon. Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer I do not own New Tricks. This story includes original and current characters. I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter, so wondering if it is worth going on with.**

**Awake?**

"What do you mean?" Jack headed towards the door as Steve and Danny looked up.

"What is it?" Steve asked, aware the older man was worried.

"Sandra. Something's happened. Gerry says there is an ambulance on the way." He headed out of the office as the rest of the team watched.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sandra? Come on luv." Gerry shook her shoulder gently, not liking the way her forehead covered in sweat as she groaned.

"What the hell has happened?" Jack almost ran towards them. "She was fine when you left."

"No she wasn't. She was just being bloody stubborn." Gerry huffed. "We left the pub that Gail runs and she was tired, yeah but nothing like this. Gail has done a runner by the way."

"Sod her." Jack huffed as the ambulance sirens got nearer. Gerry stroked a strand of Sandra's hair away from her face just as her eyes flickered open. "Sandra?"

"Dad?" She mumbled before her body slumped to the side. Gerry caught her lifeless body just as the paramedics jumped from the ambulance.

"She's had chemo and radiotherapy recently." Jack explained as the paramedic begun hooking her up to the various machines that would monitor Sandra's condition. "I knew she shouldn't have come back to work so soon."

"Is she allergic to anything?" The female paramedic asked. "On any medication?"

"Penicillin." Gerry answered. "She told me once it made her sick. She takes tamoxifen. Or she's going to start it. I dunno."

"Ok, no problem." The paramedic stuck a green cannula into Sandra's arm. Gerry and Jack looked at each other when Sandra didn't even wince. Moments later fluid was pumped into her as her friends stepped back to allow the paramedics to transfer her to the ambulance.

"Go with her." Jack stated as he gently pushed Gerry towards the ambulance. "She needs a friendly face when she wakes up. And you were there when she collapsed. You might be able to tell the doctors what happened."

"I."

"Is anyone coming with her?" The male paramedic asked. Gerry nodded as Jack watched them go.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What was that all about?" Brian asked as he walked into the office. "I only went to get an up to date map."

"Gerry and Sandra got back from the bar that Gail owns." Danny explained. "Sandra collapsed. She's gone to the hospital with Gerry."

"Oh my God." Brian looked around. "Oh my God. Sandra? Again? I thought she was getting better. That all the medicines and the chemo stuff was working."

"It is." Jack ran a hand over his face. "It was. I don't know. All we know is she is ill. I've never seen her look so ill."

"I'll call the hospital." Sacha sighed. "See if they can tell us anything."

"You're not next of kin." Danny stated.

"No." Sacha conceded. "But they don't know her little sister doesn't exist." She smiled before heading into the office.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Holly wheeled her chair across to where her father was sitting. The fourteen year old handed him the papers to him.

"This should help."

"Thanks love." He smiled as she handed him the DVD along with the papers. "This is a big help."

"Does your boss know I'm doing the techi work for you?" Holly smiled cheekily.

"No and you are paid well enough." He watched as she shook her head. "Holly."

"I know I know. None of this happened if that tall bloke with the floppy hair asks. Jeez, Dad anyone would think having a computer genius for a daughter would be a problem." She sighed. Danny rolled his eyes before picking up the phone.

"Take away?"

"Pizza!" She called as she wheeled herself out of the kitchen. "Dad, call work. See how your friend is." Danny nodded, wondering if he should.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Family of Sandra Pullman?" A young nurse called as both Jack and Gerry got to their feet.

"Here." Jack sighed.

"The doctors are just with Sandra. But you can see her if you want."

"Yeah." Gerry smiled as he followed the nurse through to the A&E's resusitation room. Jack swore under his breath as he saw Sandra hooked up to monitors, with tubes in her arms and an oxygen mask over her face.

"Are you family?" The doctor asked. Gerry nodded.

"Yeah." He lied, knowing that technically they weren't but Jack had been the closest thing to a father Sandra had in years. The doctor nodded.

"Sandra has caught an infection." He started. "We've given her IV fluids to stop her dehydrating. IV antibiotics, not penicillin before you ask and are closely monitoring her. We've also taken an X-ray and blood tests but at the moment we are working on the theory she has developed Sepsis."

"What's that?" Gerry looked across at Sandra.

"An infection caused by a bacteria that has attacked her immune system. We may never know why or how she caught it."

"But she can get better?" Gerry asked.

"As I explained to her sister earlier."

"Sister?" Jack frowned. "Which one?"

"Sacha. She said she was her younger sister."

"Yes, of course." Gerry smiled. "Her and Emily will want to know how their sister is." He smirked, making a mental note to keep Emily in the loop. His daughter wouldn't appreciate not being kept informed. Jack nodded once.

"As I told her, Sandra is very ill. The cancer treatment may have affected her immune system. We will give her all the treatment we can but ultimately she is already ill with an infection on top. She may have been pushing herself too much or it may be a combination of factors." He shook Gerry's hand. "I'll leave you with your wife. Hopefully she will be transferred to the High Dependency Unit in the next half hour." He left the room before Gerry or Jack could correct him.

"Why do people always think we're married?" He shook his head. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Have you heard the way you two carry on? If I didn't know you I'd reckon you were." He smiled. "I'll let her 'sister' know how she is." He left the room as Gerry stared at the silent figure in the bed.

"You can wake up now, you know." He huffed as she crossed the room to sit next to her bed. "You can wake up any time you like Sandra. Any time. Please." He kissed the back of her hand, trying not to cry.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N More soon. Please review. Back to the case in the next chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer not mine**

**A Case to Answer?**

Steve stared at the computer screen in front of him. The case seemed to be taking on a life of its own and he did not like it. Sighing heavily he looked up to see Sacha place a mug of steaming coffee next to a pile of files Brian had dumped on his desk earlier.

"Danny called." She stated.

"Oh right." He paused. "And?"

"And it seems Holly has been able to help. She ran the CCTV footage through a clean up. Whatever that is and she has come up trumps." Steve shook his head.

"Holly?" He watched as she smirked. "Isn't she his teenage daughter?"

"Yeah, he didn't say it was her but I've known Holly since she was a toddler. There is no way Danny would have a clue what to do with that footage." Sacha smiled. "Have you spoken to Jack?"

"He's called. He's on his way back."

"Right." She bit her lip for a moment. "How is she?"

"Sepsis." Steve looked up. "Jack said the doctor thinks she has this thing called sepsis. Like an infection but all through her system. Could be because her immune system was run down after the chemo." He looked away as Sacha sighed heavily. She knew Sandra was still the UCOS Guv and as far as the men on her team were concerned she always would be.

"What? Never heard of it." Sacha frowned, knowing that this mystery illness would not be good, and that it would take away the focus of at least four of the team. That would leave her, Danny and Steve to focus on the case. Her brother had to have been wrongly convicted and now Gail was missing she knew they were on to something. But how? How could she follow it up with just two officers when she knew everyone would think that she was on a personal vendetta to clear her dead brother's name. She shook the thought from her mind, knowing that it was selfish to think of her case, her brother when Sandra seemed to be so ill.

"I hadn't either. I called Charlie. You know? My Charlie." He smiled as he thought of his younger fiance. Sacha nodded.

"Yeah. And?"

"She is really poorly. Sepsis is a nasty illness. Think of the body being poisoned by a pathogen that it can't fight. There's all this research saying that the first hour since onset of symptoms is vital. If you can catch it then there is a fairly good chance."

"The Golden Hour." Brian stated as he looked up from his own computer. "Esther called. I told her to pick me up. I'll go down the hospital when we've finished 'ere. Give Gerry a break."

"Ok." Sacha nodded. "Good idea. Danny is on his way in, you can go now if you want."

"Thanks. But I'll finish this."

"What are you doing?" Steve asked, suddenly interested in the older man's work.

"We know Sorenson died three years ago."

"Yeah." Steve nodded.

"We know he had cancer. Testicular cancer." Brian continued, oblivious to the face that Sacha was glaring at him.

"So?" She snapped.

"He had to attend hospital once he was diagnosed. He didn't find the lump or at least he didn't report it to the prison doctor until it was too late to really do anything." Brian continued. "But looking at the records he did stay in hospital over night at least twice. In that time he had two visitors. One was you, Sacha. Of course you visited him."

"Who else?" Danny asked as he walked into the office.

"Gail."

"We have to find her." Sacha stated. Brian nodded.

"Didn't Gerry say the girl at the bar gave them her address?"

"I'll get a warrent." Sacha headed into the office she shared with Sandra, picking up her phone before she had sat down.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gerry looked up as the doctor walked into the room. Sandra had barely moved, the only sign she as alive the rhythmical bleeping of the monitor that signalled each breath she took.

"We have her blood tests back."

"And?" Gerry couldn't hide the fact he had been crying. Sniffing he blinked as the doctor sat down.

"Your wife has been through a lot physically. Chemo and radio have taken their toll." He began as Gerry nodded. "But we have her on the right antibiotics. Her urine screen and chest xray are clear. We're waiting on blood cultures but I am confident her infection markers are going to settle down in the next day or so."

"So, she's going to be ok?"

"Sandra is unwell. Very unwell but we can help her. The breast cancer is being treated appropirately and we have her on the right medication for the sepsis. The rest is up to her." The doctor watched as Gerry nodded before turning his attention back to Sandra. Sighing heavily the doctor mumbled something about him getting some rest before leaving the room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I have a warrent." Sacha yelled as she walked out of the office. "Come on Steve, Danny we have work to do."

"What about me?" Brian turned back as he picked up his cycle helmoet.

"You look after Gerry and Jack. They are going to need you." Sacha smiled before ushering the other men out of the office. He just hoped he could.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N More soon. PLease review.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Disclaimer I do not own New Tricks. If I did Jack, Sandra and Brian would still be there along with Esther. Not sure people are reading this. I've not had any reviews so I am assuming this isn't a popular story so I will round it up pretty quickly as I hate to leave a story unfinished. Please let me know if you are reading._**

**_Warant?_**

"You sure about this?" Danny asked as Sacha drove towards the address she had written on a piece of scrap paper.

"Yep."

"And you are sure it is the right address?"

"Steve, what do you take me for?" She snapped as the affable Glaswegian looked out the window.

"Emotionally involved." Steve stated honestly. "You know you are. How can you not be? It's your brother. Who just happens to be dead."

"Thanks for that. I might have forgotten he's dead if you hadn't mentioned it."

"So, of course you are emotionally involved."

"I just want answers. If he was innocent. And I know it's still just if, I want to find the real killer. Michael's family still deserve justice and Gail may be able to help us get that." Steve and Danny fell silent as Sacha continued to drive through the busy, wet streets of London.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sandra?" Gerry looked up as he felt her move. His hand was still clamped around her's.

"What?" She opened her eyes slowly. "The Hell Happened?"

"You're ok." Gerry smiled as he realised the Sandra he knew was still there. "You had a funny turn. Nearly gave me a bloody 'eart attack."

"Don't you start having them." Sandra glared at him as he squeezed her hand.

"Do you remember anything?"

"We were in the car."

"Yeah." Gerry nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I was driving. You said you were tired."

"And then what?"

"You don't remember?"

"Would I be asking if I did?" She snapped as Gerry shrugged his shoulders.

"Not much." He paused. "I stopped the car. You had a temperature. Really high, like 40'C. Then you were shaking and hallucinating."

"What?"

"Sandra, you asked for your Dad."

"Oh God." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I remember that. I was talking to him but he was shaking his head. He seemed annoyed with me and I didn't know why."

"See? You were dreaming. Or Hallucinating or summin, I dunno. I aint a doctor. They've pumped you full of fluid and Iv antibiotics since then."

"How long?"

"Eh?"

"Gerry. How long have I been in hospital?"

"ITU." Gerry paused. "Two days. Then they moved you here to High Care. Sandra, we thought you were gonna die. They told me."

"PLease tell me my mother hasn't been here."

"No she hasn't." Gerry narrowed his eyes, aware the woman Jack had befriended almost forty years earlier was about as maternal as a piranah fish.

"Thank God."

"What now?" Gerry paused. He knew Jack had spoken to Grace but she had been determined not to visit. Apparently hospitals made her sick. Sandra paused for a moment

"Now, I get out of here and you get back to work."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sacha parked the car in an almost deserted side street and turned the car engine off. Danny reached for the door handle as Sacha stopped him.

"No, if we are going to do this we do it properly."

"And how would that be?" Steve asked from his place in the back seat.

"You go round the back, Danny stay here and I'll knock the front door." Sacha sighed. "Covering all bases. It's something she's been doing since the night Michael died, it's time we played her at her own game."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N PLease review.


End file.
